Oil burning heater



A. C. BRYAN OIL BURNING HEATER Filed March 14. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 URNEYS .ATT

' W'l TN E5 5 0% cwm A. C. BRYAN Oct. 27, 1931.

OIL BURNING HEATER Fil ed March 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 7'0 R/VEYS Oct. 27, 1931. I c, BRYAN 1,829,125

OIL BURNING HEATER Fild March 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 TTU/PNEKS Patenteei @ct. 27, 131

V mans AR'IIS CHESTER BRYAN, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 01:. BURNING HATER Application filed March 14, 1928. Serial lilo. 261,537.

This invention relates to an oil-burning heater adapted to be used more particularly in connection with furnaces and other house heaters which have been previously installed for burning coal and other solid fuels, but obviously may be used in connection with heaters specially built and coordinated with this particular type of burner for economy in space and maximum heating efiiciency.

In apparatus of this character the oil tank or other container for the source of oil supply is preferably placed below the level of the burner in the furnace and is usually imbe'dded in the ground at the exterior of the building for safety purposes and also for convenience in refilling and it, therefore, becomes necessary to pipe the tank to a supplemental but relatively small reservoir or tank into which relatively small quantities of the oil may be periodically or intermittently drawn, preferably by suction, from which the oil may be supplied as needed to the burner and the supply automatically controlled by suitable devices, hereinafter de scribed.

Furthermore, it is preferable to employ the usual electric house current for ignition purposes through the medium of suitable electrodes or. ignition terminals having special relation to the fuel discharge end or nozzle of the burner and incidentally involving the use of a suitable transformer for producing the desired ignition spark at the electrode terminals.

The heaters are usually equipped with suitable fuel inlet openings and doors or similar closures therefor and one of the main-objects of the present invent-ion is to mount the fuel mixing and ignition elements together with the supplemental oil reservoir and transformer directly upon the outer face of the door to move therewith as the door is opened and closed. I

Another object is to provide the supplemental reservoir with a vacuum chamber operatively connected to a suitable suction device and to the source of oil supply where- I bye limited quantity of oil may be drawn thereinto 'from said source and to provide the ,Yacuum chamber with float-controlled valves whereby the operation of the float by the inflowing oil will automatically cut off the supply when a pre-determined quantity has been drawn into the vacuum chamber and at the same time automatically break the force of the vacuum by opening a portion of the suction passage to the atmosphere.

A further object is to provide the vacuum tank with means for automatically discharging the Oll therefrom 1nto an inclosing housing immediately upon the breaking of the vacuum in said tank.

Another object is to connect the burner to the supplemental housing of the vacuum tank by means of a suitable conduit or pipe and also to introduce air into the burner under pressure in such manner as to draw the oil from the supplemental housing into the burner to establish a thorough mixture with the oil and to enable said mixture to be discharged through the nozzle of the burner for ignition by the electrodes of the burner as long as the mixture continues to flow during which time the float in the vacuum tank will return by its own weight to open the fuel inlet valve and to close the vacuum vent for replenishing the oil in the supplemental tank as fast as it is withdrawn therefrom.

Another object is to provide the supplemental tank with a safety float and valve operated thereby for controlling an additional vacuum vent so that in case an excessive amount of oil is drawn into the vacuum chamber by suction the additional float will automatically open the vent valve to break the vacuum and thereby prevent further accumulation of oil in the supplemental tank. Another object is to provide the burner with heat-controlled means for regulating the quantity of combustible mixture discharged through the nozzle.

A further object is to enable the burner to be adjusted to different angles as may be required to direct theflame to the proper position within the combustion chamber of the furnace according to the height of the fuel In the drawings Figure l is a more or less diagrammatic view of a furnaceequipped with my improved burner together with a motor-driven pump and pipe connections between the pump and vacuum tank showing also the various electrical controls for the pump motor.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the front portion of the furnace showing the manner of mounting the burner and associated parts upon the furnacedoor and also the construction of the fire battle within the combustion chamber and against which the flame from the burner is directed for incandescent purposes.

Figure 3 is a front face view of the baffle shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan of the detached vacuum tank.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 55, Figure 4.

Figures 6 and 7 are vertical sectional views of the vacuum tank taken on lines 6-6 an 77, Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of the float-controlled oil valve shown in Figure 6 except that the valve isclosed.

Figure 9 is a'sectional view taken in the plane of line 9 9, Figure 10.

Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional view, partly in top plan, taken in the plane of line 1010, Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view, partly in elevation of the vacuum regulating device.

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 1212, Figure 10.

The mechanism forming the subject matter ofthis application may be used in connection with any heater as A having a combustion chamber A- and a fuel inlet opening -aleading thereto through the front side of the furnace some distance above the grate B-, the fuel'inlet opening being provided with a suitable door or closure 1-- upon which certain mechanisms of the invention are mounted for supplying and igniting the necessary fuel mixture and burning the same Within the combustion chamber A'-.

The heat developed in the combustion chamber may be used for heating air, water or converting the water into steam and in order that the heat produced in the comlbustion chamber may be retained as long as possible and also for increasing the intensity of the heat transferred to the distributing system a suitable bafile C is supported upon the grate -B- directly in the path of the flame from the burner, said battle being preferably made of heat refracting material, such as fire brick, capable of incandescence under a sutficient degree of heat. I

The mechanisms which are carried by the door -1 are preferably mounted upon a vided' with an extension 4' projecting through an opening 5 in the door and into the fuel inlet opening a- The burner comprises a frame 6 having its opposite ends provided with horizontallv extending trunnions j ournaled in split bearings S, the split sides of which are provided with clamping bolts -9- for attaching the bearing members S- to the inner Wall of the extension -4 of the plate 2 and also for tighting and loosening the split bearings -8- upon and from the trunnions 7 The frame 6 is, therefore, journaled for rocking movement upon and within the extension --l through the medium of the split bearings 8 which, when tightened by their respective clamping bolts -9 serve to frictionally hold the frame (3 andpa ri carried thereby in different positions of adjustment for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The central portion of the frame rs is provided with a forwardly and rearwardlr extending tubular head or barrel -10 h'a\ ing a lengthwise bore 11 extending therethrough from end to end and branch passages -l2- and 13 leading from the underside of the head to the bore in axially spaced relation and preferably at an angle to the axis of the bore inclined forwardly and inwardly for receiving air under pressure and fuel oil respectively in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

The branch passage l2 is located more nearly midway between the opposite ends of the bore and is connected by piping l-lto the pressure side of a motor-driven pump 15, as shown more or less diagrammatically in Figure 1, for supplying air under pressure to the burner to produce the neces- The oil passage 13 is connected by piping 16to an oil reservoir 17 of a vacuum tank 18 for supplying the necessary fuel oil to the mixing chamber as 19 of the burner to which the oil passage l8-- is directly connected as shown in Figure 9.

The portion of the lengthwise opening 1l-. in the head l0 between the passages l2 and -1-3 is threaded at -20- to be engaged by the threaded portion of. a tubular valve stem 2l which extends through the major portion of said bore or opening 11 from the outer end across the passage l2 and mainly across the passage 13 so that its inner end may terminate a relatively short distance from the inher end of the head 10 or adjacent the inner side of the adjacent end of the oil passage 13.

The intermediate portion of the valve stem 21 and adjacent portion of the opening 11 are spaced apart to form an annular chamber -22-' registering with the air passage 12- and communicating with the in- The reduced inner end of the valve stenr -21-- is provided with a central restricted opening 2 l forming a continuation of the passage 24 to allow the air under pressure to pass first into the mixing chamber across the adjacent end of the oil passage l3 and thence into the combustion chamber A, it being understood that the re stricted passage 2-lserves to increase the velocity and pressure of the inflowing air.

This current of air passing across the adjacent end of the passage 13- acts upon the principle of an ejector for creating sufiicient suction through the mixing chamber to draw the oil from the reservoir 17 through the connecting piping 16 into the mixing chamber where it is thoroughly agitated and mixed with the air and projected by the air pressure through a suitable nozzle 25-.

This nozzle 25 is provided with a reduced threaded portion engaging internal threads 26 on the inner end of the head 10 so that it may be adjusted or set to different positions relatively to the inner end of the valve stem 21 The outer end of the valve stem is provided with a hand wheel 27 by which it may be turned for axial adjustment in the screw threaded portion 20 to bring its inner end into more or less close proximity to theadjacent end of the nozzle as may be required for regulating the amount of oil drawn into the miring chamber 19 and delivered through the nozzle i25 into the combustion chamber of the heater.

The valve stem -2l may be held in any .position of adjustment by means of a set screw -.28-- mounted on the outer end of the head 10 and adapted to engage the periphery of the hand wheel 27, as shown in Figure 9. 4

Electric ignition and are shouldered against the inner ends of said sleeves, the outer ends of said electrodes being provided with clamping nuts 3lengaging the adjacent ends of their respective insulating sleeves --29 for firmly holding the electrodes in operative position.

The inner ends of the electrodes -30-- are deflected toward each other to form spark terminals 32 which are spaced a relatively short distance apart to form an intervcn ing spark gap adapted to be varied at will either by bending the terminals toward or from each other or by turning them about their respective axes.

The outer ends of the electrodes 30- are connected by flexible leads or cables 34-- to a suitable transformer 35 which, in

. turn, is connected by wires -36 to a suitable source of electric energy for supplying the necessary current to the electrodes 3(l for ignition purposes.

The transformer -35v and vacuum tank -18-are bolted or otherwise secured to the plate 2 to open and close with the door and while the burner is also mounted upon the same plate, it, together witlvthe elec-' trodes is tiltable about the axis of 'trunnions -8 to direct the flame from the burner into the combustion chamber at different levels according to the height of the fuel inlet door 1- or. rather according to the relative heights ofthe battle C- and fuel inlet opening.

It will be noted upon reference to Figures 2 and 9 that the electrodes 30- are dis posed in a plane at an angle to the axis of the tubular stem 21 so that the inner terminal ends of said electrodes may incline inwardly and upwardly upon the axis of the tubular stem and, therefore, out of the path of travel of the combustible mixture as it is projected into the combustion chamber from the nozzle 25 the object of which is to keep the terminal ends of the electrodes from being fouled by accumulations of the oil or combustible mixture.

The vacuum tank 18 is provided with a vacuum chamber-37* having an oil inlet in which a partial vacuum is intermittently maintained for drawing oil thereinto and for this purpose the top wall thereof is provided with a suction port --38- and an oil inlet port 89, the suction port -38 being connected by conduits 40 to the suction side of the pump 15 While the oil intake port. 39- is connected by pipes or conduits 4lto an oil supply tank -42 which is preferably imbedded in the ground at a level some distance below that of the burner.

The degree of vacuum maintained in the chamber 37 for drawing the oil from the main supply tank -42 depends somewhat upon the difference in levels of the supply tank and vacuum tank and is regulated by a vent tube 43 which is connected to the vacuum pipe 41- preferably adjacent the vacuum tank and is provided with an atmosphere port -44 normally closed by one or more ball valves -45 arranged to normally close the port 44 by their own weight, but adapted to be opened by suction from the suction side of the pump 15-- in case the vacuum in the chamber -37 exceeds a predetermined degree beyond that required to cll'ect an up-flow of the oil from the supply tank 42- into the port 39 and thence into the vacuum chamber.

This vent tube 45lis removable to perniit the number of balls to be changed at will to coordi1 1ate the weight thereof with the degree of vacuum required.

The suction port 38 is controlled by a float-operated valve 46 having a downwardly extending stem l7 connected to one arm of a bell-crank le er 48 which is pivoted at l9- to a suitable bracket -50- depending from the underside of the top wall ofthe vacuum chamber -37 as shown more clearly in Figures (5, 7 and 8.

The top Wall oi the vacuum chamber 37 is also provided with an atmosphere port 5l controlled by a valve 52- having a downwardly extending stem 53 pivoted to one arm of a bell-crank lever 5t which is similar to the lever -48 and pivoted coaxial therewith by the same pivotal pin -l9.

The other arms of the bell-crank levers sl8 and -t )-.t extend upwardly ltrom their respective pivots'49 and are connected to each other by a transverse pin -55- extending through a slot -56 in the weighted arm of an intermediate bellcrank-le ver 57- which is pivotally mounted upon the same pin 49-, the slot 56- being concentric with the axis of said pivotal pin.

The crank arm of the weightedlever -57 isattached by aslot and pin connection 58- to the upper end of a downwardly projecting link 59- having its lower end connected to the intermediate portion of a lever 60.

This lever 60 is fulcrumed at one end upon a bracket 61 and has its other end connected to a float 62- which is movable vertically in the vacuum chamber 51 by the rise and fall of the oil therein.

The levers 48 and 57 are arranged to open the suction controlling valve 46 and to close the vent valve 52 when the float 62 assumes its lowermost position a by the discharge of oil from the chamber --57-.

On the other hand, as the oil is drawn into the chamber 37 by the vacuum therein the float'62' will be gradually elevated to 0perate the Weighted lever 57 from its normal position mainly at one side of the vertical plane of the pivot 4t9 until its weight is carried to the other side of said plane whereupon the automatic further movement of the weighted member by its own weight will inis held in its closed position by the force of the vacuum in the chamber -=37 when the valve 46- is opened and the'valve 52 is closed but immediately opens by-the weight of the oil in the chamber -37 when the vacuum in the chamber -37- is broken as just explained thereby discharging the oil from the chamber 37- in the reservoir l7 and allowing thefloat 62 to drop to its lowermost position for restoring the valves 46 and -52 to their starting positions for re-establishing the partial vacuum in the chamber 37 and incidentally closing the valve 65-.

In this manner a limited supply of oil is maintained in the reservoir l7- to be siphoned therefrom through the pipe 16- and into the burner by the passage of air through the valve stem 21 and nozzle -25 as previously explained.

Safety 'vent The top wall ofthevacuum chamber 37- 1s provided with a safety vent port 66- controlled by a valve -67 having a depending stem 68 connected to the intermediate portion of a lever 6S) which is pivoted at one end at 70 to the bracket -61 and has itslower end connected to a supplemental float 7 1 which is movable in the vacuum chamber 70 at one side of the vertical path of movement ofthe float 62, as shown in Figure 6.

The weight of the float -71- normally holds the valve 67 in its closed position, but, if for any reason the float -62- and parts operated thereby should fail to be operated by the inflowing oil in the chamber 37 the rise of said oil in said chamber to a predetermined level will operate the float 7l and valve 67 to open the vent port -66 to the atmosphere thereby breaking the force of vacuum in the chamber 37- and incidentally stopping the further flow of oil into said chamber until the cause of the operation of the safety float is removed.

One or more vertical guide ribs 72- are formed upon the interior walls of the vacuum chamber 37 between the floats 62 and 7 1 to guide them in theirvertical movements without interfering with each other.

The plate -Q is provided with a sight opening 73therethrough from front to rear for inspection of the eflects of combustion within the combustion chamber, said opening normally closed by a suitable gate .7a through the medium of a weight 7'5, the gate being free to open outwardly to relieve any internal Compression within the combustion chamber as a result of abnormal explosion or combustion of gases therein.

The pump 15 is operated by an electric motor --M belted to a suitable pulley on the pump and adapted to receive current from the usual house line circuit m,- through the medium of a temperature regulated motor switch -S-, preferably of the well-known Honeywell type, which is preferably mounted upon the supporting base for the motor M and pump 15, as shown in Figure 1.

That is, the circuit to the motor M-- is automatically opened and closed by the motor switch S, the operation of which is made dependent upon varying temperatures in or adjacent the heater or in some one or another of the rooms of the building in which the heater is located so that when the temperature rises or falls above or below a predetermined degree in or adjacent the furnace or room the pump operated motor will be stopped or started as the case may be, and incidentally stopping or starting'the flow of fuel oil and air through the burner, said motor switch being also used to control the current through the transformer In Figure 1 of the drawings are shown, by dotted lines and somewhat diagrammatically, three types of temperature regulated means for controlling the operation of the switch -S comprising in this instance, a combustion safety control or stackstat X-- of the Honeywell type B9a arranged within or adjacent the smokestack a of I the heater, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.

. An auxiliary temperature controlling device Y may be mounted in the heat-distributing chamber or adjacent side of the heater and commonly known as an auxiliary control which may be either an aquastat, vaporst-ator airstat of any well-known make.

A'thermostat Z may be placed at any suitable location-within the building in which the heater is located and electrically connected to the swtch S to control the same and,

thereby to control the operation of the motor 'M- as the temperature in the room rises and falls above and below a predetermined degree.

All of these automatic temperature operated devices -X, Y and Z are electrically connected to the switch S to act conjointly or independently in controlling the operation of the switch and thereby controlling the operation of the pump which,

in turn, controls the supply of oil and air constituting the combustible mixture to the combustion chamber of the heater and not only increases the safety of the apparatus as a Whole, but also conserves the current used in the operation of the pump motor and resultant conservation of the current used in the transformer and consumption of oil in the combustion chamber of the heater.

The opening in the top wall of the chamber 17 for receiving the pipe 16 is slightly larger than said pipe to provide an air- Vcnt and thereby to facilitate the draft of oil from said chamber into the burner by the suction produced by the inflowing current of air through said burner.

It will be noted upon reference to Figure 6 that the lower side of the ball 67 is flat andprojects laterally beyond its supporting stem -68 so that when the ball valve 67 is opened by the rise of the float 71- it will shift laterally by its own weight due to its inclination from a vertical so that as the oil recedes from the float 71 the lower surface of the ball valve 67- will engage the upper face of its seat in the direction of the inclination of the stem 68 and thereby lock the float 7 1 in its elevated position as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 6 for the purpose previously explained.

The specific object in locating the oil passage -18 at the bottom or lower side of the mixing chamber 19 and nozzle 25-, Figure 9, is to assure the backflow of any oil, even the smallest amount into the chamber 17 through the pipe 16 when the machine is shut down or its operation stopped thereby reducing the liability of carbonizing the passages 24-- and '25 and at the same time increasing the safety of the apparatus against accidental explosion of the oil, particularly at the burner.

As previously stated, the ignition terminals 32 of the electrodes 30 are disposed in a plane slightly above the path of the inflowing combustible mixture but still in sufficiently close proximity to said path to cause the infiowing mixture to draw the spark thereinto.

That is, the rapidity of the inflow of the explosive mixture slightly below the plane of the terminal and suction produced thereby causes the spark to be drawn into the path of travel of said mixture to secure complete combustion thereof and at the same time avoid accumulations of carbon on the terminals.

What I claim is:

1. In a heater having a combustion chaminwardly and downwardly inclined planes, the fuel-discharge nozzle being disposed at a greater angle from a horizontal plane than the electrode terminals, for discharging the fuel in a path below said terminals. 7

2. In an oil burning heater of the character described, a plate adapted to be secured to a part of the heater and provided with an opening therethrough for communication with the combustion chamber of said heater, a frame hingedly supported on the plate within said opening for vertical adjustment to different angles, a fuel delivery head mounted on the frame .to tilt therewith, and electrodes mounted on the frame at opposite sides of the head and provided with ignition terminals some distance beyond and'in a plane above the inner end of the head.

3. The combination with the fuel door of an oil-burning heater, of an oil-burner mounted on the door and provided with a fuel discharge nozzle and ignition electrodes, a vacuum tank mounted on the door for supplying fuel to the nozzle, and a transformer for the current to the electrodes mounted on saidadoor, said burner having its electrodes disposed at opposite sides of and terminating in a plane above the discharge end of the fuel-nozzle.

lnThe combination with the fuel-door of an oil-burning heater. of an oil-burner hinged to swing about a horizontal axis in an opening in said door and comprising a fuel-discharge nozzle, and ignition electrodes arranged at opposite sides of said nozzle and having their ignition terminals disposed in a plane above said nozzle.

5. An oil-burning unit comprising a plate adapted to be secured in the fuel opening of a heater and provided with an upright portion and a horizontal portion, a burner tiltably mounted in an opening in the upright portion of the plate and provided with a fuel-discharge nozzle and a pair of electrodes arranged at opposite sides of said nozzle and having their ignition terminals disposed in a plane above said nozzle, a fuel supply tank mounted on the horizontal portion and connected to said nozzle, and a transformer for the current to the electrodes mounted on said horizontal portion and connected to said electrodes.

6. In an oil-burning heater, a plate adapted to be secured in the fuel opening of the heater and provided with an opening therethrough leading to the fuel opening, journal bearings on opposite walls of the plate-opening, a frame having its opposite ends journaled in said bearings for Vertical tilting movement, means for tightening and loosening the bearings upon and from the frame, a fuel nozzle on the frame, and a pair of electrodes mounted on the frame at opposite sides of the nozzle and having gnition terminals disposed in a plane ab IV said nozzle. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of March, 1928.

ARTIS CHESTER BRYAN. 

